Battery pack

Abstract

A battery pack includes a plurality of cells, a refrigerant pipe, a plurality of cooling members, and a restraining unit. Each of the cooling members includes a plate-shaped portion interposed between the cells, and a contact portion jutting out from between the cells and contacting the refrigerant pipe. The restraining unit includes a pair of restraining members and a support member supporting the pair of restraining members, the pair of restraining members restraining opposite ends of the plurality of cells arranged with the plurality of cooling members interposed. The cooling members include one or more first cooling members and one or more second cooling members, the one or more second cooling members having a heat capacity higher than the one or more first cooling members and having a greater contact area with the refrigerant pipe than the one or more first cooling members.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery pack comprising:
 a plurality of cells; 
 a refrigerant pipe; 
 a plurality of cooling members; and 
 a restraining unit, wherein: 
 each of the plurality of cells includes a pair of planar portions opposed to each other, and the plurality of cells are arranged such that planar portions of each adjacent pair of the cells are in a face-to-face relationship; 
 the refrigerant pipe extends alongside the plurality of cells arranged side by side, and along a direction in which the plurality of cells are arranged; 
 each of the cooling members is disposed between each adjacent pair of the cells or between each set of adjacent pairs of the cells wherein each set of adjacent pairs of the cells includes a plurality of adjacent pairs of the cells; and 
 each of the cooling members includes a plate-shaped portion interposed between the cells and a contact portion jutting out from between the cells and contacting the refrigerant pipe; 
 the restraining unit includes a pair of restraining members and a support member supporting the pair of restraining members, the pair of restraining members restraining opposite ends of the plurality of cells arranged with the plurality of cooling members interposed; and 
 the plurality of cooling members include one or more first cooling members and one or more second cooling members, the one or more second cooling members having a heat capacity higher than the one or more first cooling members and a greater contact area with the refrigerant pipe than the one or more first cooling members; 
 wherein the one or more second cooling members are disposed intermittently between adjacent pairs of the cells or between sets of adjacent pairs of the cells, along a direction in which the plurality of cells are arranged; 
 wherein each of the one or more second cooling members includes a pair of plates and an elastic body disposed between the pair of plates, the pair of plates respectively placed against respective planar portions of the cells adjacent thereto in a region where the each of the one or more second cooling members is disposed; 
 each of the pair of the plates includes the contact portion, and has a higher heat capacity and a greater contact area with the refrigerant pipe than the one or more first cooling members; and 
 wherein one of the pair of the plates is disposed immovably relative to the restraining member, and the other one of the pair of the plates is disposed movably relative to the restraining member.